[Vol. 8] Chapter 177: "Death" Outside the Valley
Violet took a long, thin, tube-shaped magitech device from her backpack. It gave off a faint magical aura. She casually tossed it to Chloe, who had just asked a question. Seeing the girl catch it awkwardly and begin examining it curiously, Violet slowly began to explain.
“None of you are from the Austre Empire, and you probably haven’t spent much time living in the Austre Empire or learning about their culture and habits, so it’s normal that you don’t know this stuff.”
“Many things over there are completely different from what you’re used to. Their widespread magitech has completely changed the way people live and how they fight wars. For example, this magic gun. It's slowly replacing bows and even some melee weapons, becoming a common weapon. Right now, it’s mainly used in the military, but if you’ve got money and connections, it’s not hard for civilians to get one either.”
Magitech items like magic mirrors aren’t exactly top-secret, but they’re not something the average person can buy either. The everyday-use part of Austre’s magitech culture, things like magic lights and boiling kettles, has spread to many parts of the world. But these items make up only a small part of the Austre Empire’s full technology. In fact, most of them are outdated or second-rate products.
Even someone like Kunnir, with his deep academic knowledge, or Chloe, a noble’s daughter, would have a hard time getting access to the Empire’s cutting-edge magitech unless they actively searched for it and paid a high price.
So it’s not surprising that they couldn’t spot the tiny details. But to people like Violet, Xiao Guang, or even Mia and Selna, who had lived in Sainz, the Academy City full of advanced magitech, those clues were obvious with just a closer look.
“Magitech is widely used in the Austre Empire’s military, and the more elite the unit, the more they expect soldiers to handle these weapons skillfully. That’s something you can often tell just by observing a few small details.”
“Think about it, what’s the most obvious physical feature of someone who trains with weapons all year round?”
At that moment, Kunnir, basically the team’s brain, suddenly got it.
“I see. You’re talking about calluses, right? That makes sense! For example, humans and similar races don’t have fur on their palms like we beastfolk do, so it’s easy for calluses to form over time. The way you hold a magic gun is very different from a sword or blade, so the calluses show up in different places. Since magic guns are strictly for military use and banned from civilian use, only trained Imperial soldiers would have those kinds of calluses…”
Violet nodded slightly and gave him a look of approval.
“Exactly. That was my main clue. Just a bit of careful observation and reasoning. I don’t actually know that much more than the rest of you. I’ve just seen more, experienced more, and learned to think more openly.”
“As for all that stuff about the Intelligence Bureau or a secret order from the Emperor, that was just me bluffing. With the two countries at war, if an Imperial soldier sneaks into Holy Empire territory, there’s a very high chance he’s working with the Austre Empire’s Intelligence Bureau. And that bureau reports directly to Emperor Leonis. So it’s pretty easy to connect the dots. Just scaring the guy a bit. Even if I was wrong, no big deal~”
“Uh…”
Everyone looked at each other in silence.
They had thought this mysterious and powerful priestess, who only existed in stories, had access to some kind of secret information network. Or maybe, like the rumors said, she had a close relationship with the Goddess and could receive divine revelations…
But in the end, it was all just clever guesswork and bluffing. Honestly… this was a little too crafty for how a holy priestess was supposed to act.
Only the dragon girl Xiao Guang looked totally calm, clearly used to this kind of behavior.
“Even so, Master, those Imperial soldiers went through a lot of trouble to sneak people into this area. There’s probably something really important hidden in that valley. Should I go—”
Violet already understood what Xiao Guang meant, but after thinking for a moment, she still shook her head.
“Let’s not alert the enemy just yet. We’re already very close to the ruins, so if there really is some secret hidden in the Chaos Magic Valley, there’s a high chance it’s connected to those ruins. Right now, we don’t know anything about what’s inside. It’s better to gather some information and check things out before we make a move.”
“Alright, but…”
The Dragon God seemed like she wanted to say more. She glanced at the others nearby but ended up sending a short message to the priestess through their contract’s mental link.
[Master, I feel like the soil here smells a little strange… and under our feet… it feels like something alive is pulsing beneath us.]
“......”
Violet’s expression changed slightly, but she simply gave a small nod.
[I understand.]
………………………………………………
They continued walking without saying much. After the earlier encounter with the imperial soldier, everyone had unconsciously picked up the pace. By the time the sky turned orange with the setting sun, they had already crossed two mountain peaks and arrived near a valley surrounded by tall mountains.
In the distance, there was a narrow entrance squeezed between two cliffs. Under the evening light, it could just barely be seen. Warm yellow sunlight spilled across the grass and treetops.
On an old stone tablet standing outside the valley, three large Holy Empire words, Chaos Magic Valley, were carved. In the soft sunset glow, the words looked faint and unclear. The entrance itself resembled a huge mouth ready to swallow anyone who came near, giving off an eerie, unsettling feeling.
“Stop, we can’t go any farther.”
Just then, Mevis, the usually quiet foxfolk assassin, suddenly gave a soft warning. Everyone immediately stopped. Violet turned back and looked at her, but didn’t speak. Instead, it was Kunnir, who knew Mevis best, who frowned and asked in a low voice.
“Is it an ambush?”
The little fox shook her head and explained in a stuttering voice.
“Didn’t sense… anyone alive… but the further we go… the stronger the traces… of death… Ahead… very dangerous…”
“Traces of death...? What do you mean?”
Miss Chloe tilted her head in confusion, but Mevis didn’t explain.
This was her signature ability. Even her old partner Kunnir only understood a small part of it, so of course she wouldn’t easily tell others. Plus, explaining it in a foreign language she wasn’t fluent in was just too much trouble.
She simply gave a straightforward conclusion:
“In short… we can’t go in… directly. We need another way.”
As she said that, the little fox turned her eyes toward a certain priestess, Violet. Her meaning was very clear.
Mevis, being one blessed by the gods, had a gifted ability called “Death Sense.” This ability let her automatically spot the “death mark” on any living being in her view.
Whenever a death mark appeared, as long as she attacked that marked spot and landed a hit, it didn’t matter how strong or special the enemy was, they would definitely die.
It was clearly a powerful talent. Even though it had no attack power on its own, it was extremely useful in battle.
And through years of training and understanding, especially after a near-death experience a few years ago where she summoned the Spirit of Death “Death Omen Star” into her own body, Mevis had miraculously awakened a new ability.
That new power was…
To foresee someone’s death.